1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to supports and cabinets. More particularly, the invention pertains to a wall or surface mounted vertically movable housing or compartment. In a most preferred embodiment, the invention pertains to garage storage systems that enable limited space within a garage or the like to be used optimally for storage, working surfaces, or vehicles as required at any particular time.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the design and construction of a dwelling, there are many competing factors that must be addressed. Among these are a person""s desire for adequate space to carry on normal daily activities and ability to gain ready access to items required during those regular activities. In addition, sufficient storage area or shelter must be provided for less frequently used items and expensive or valuable equipment. When there is insufficient space, a great deal of time may be lost, and frustration will build, adversely affecting the person""s comfort and quality of life. However, limiting a person""s ability to attain these desirable features of a dwelling are the limited land space available for the population in general, the greater expense of larger structures, and also the increased time and expense required to maintain larger dwellings.
Consequently, various artisans have worked to design more efficient ways to store various items in a smaller occupied space. U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,843 to Sferra is illustrative. The Sferra patent illustrates above-vehicle storage using an elaborate lift and conveyor system that runs the length of a garage area. This system allows persons to use available dwelling space more efficiently. Unfortunately, the Sferra system places several undesirable constraints upon the design and construction of the garage. More particularly, the Sferra system requires the garage to be open for the entire length above the vehicle, and have enough space in that area for reasonable storage.
Unfortunately, most home garages have little available space above the vehicle. This is due to the aforementioned limiting factor of expense, and also aesthetics of the garage in proportion to the dwelling. Most garages are provided with an overhead door that opens only slightly above the roof of a typical vehicle, and when open extends over the top of such a vehicle parked within the garage. In most instances, the overhead door will also be adjacent a ceiling or the beginning of a roof structure within the garage when in this open position. In other words, there is either no available space above the vehicle and garage door, or extremely limited space. Such limited space normally does not provide sufficient justification for the complex and costly system of storage Sferra illustrates. As a result, the Sferra system is limited in application to only those situations where a pre-existing structure has unusually high ceilings within which to provide storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,729,245 to Skifstrom illustrates an electrically driven cabinet structure designed to work above a kitchen counter. While the Skifstrom system offers better access to higher items within a cabinet, very little is gained in efficiency of storage in applications beyond a kitchen cabinet. U.S. Pat. No. 5,871,070 to Contreras illustrates a wall mounted storage lift referenced for use within a garage, but uses a cable system that would be inherently extremely dangerous for elevating larger or heavy objects, since the failure of a single cable would easily spill the platform. Furthermore, the cables allow movement and shifting of the platform that, even absent a mechanical failure, could still lead to an accident. Consequently, there is still a need for more efficient storage and use of space within dwelling structures and particularly within garages and work areas.
In a first manifestation, the invention is a storage lift apparatus supported entirely on a single surface of a generally planar wall. The lift includes a cargo support base; a support track secured to the wall; a runner supporting the cargo support base retained within the support track and moveable between a position adjacent the floor and a position adjacent the ceiling; and a drive operatively connected to move the runner relative to support track and thereby operatively move the cargo support base relative to the floor. The storage lift apparatus may be loaded with cargo at a floor level position and subsequently elevated therefrom by the drive moving the runner relative to the support track, to make the floor level space available for alternative usage.
In a second manifestation, the invention is a multi-purpose transportation, work and storage unit within which a motor vehicle is parked and stored and which selectively provides an adjustable height working surface or additional storage space. A garage structure receives and shelters the motor vehicle and has a floor, a roof, and a wall. A lift has first and second vertically extending guides affixed to the wall, runners journalled and slidable within the guides, an object supporting surface extending perpendicular from and solely supported by the runners, a drive for vertically displacing the lift from floor, and a means to adjust the height between object supporting surface and floor. Cargo may then be alternatively supported adjacent floor level, above floor and within reach of a person for work or above storage, or above a motor vehicle without ground-level impediment.
In a third manifestation, the invention is a surface-mounted adjustable height wall unit operative for raising a load from a floor to a second position spaced therefrom and subsequently lowering the load back to the floor. The wall unit includes a wall mount for rigidly attaching to a wall surface. A base supports the load by defining a horizontal surface. A back is movably attached to the wall mount. The base is pivotally attached to the back along a back edge of the base and rotates between horizontal and vertical. A drive moves the back and base relative to wall mount, and a removable frame forms a basket with back and base into which the load may be placed and retained. At least one panel is removably attached to the frame adjacent base front edge and horizontal surface sides, thereby forming a barrier to human tampering with a raised load.
A first object of the invention is to provide a more efficient use of space within a garage or other work area than is currently practiced. A second object of the invention is to provide a device that may be installed easily into an existing structure. A third object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus that may be operated safely. A further object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus that may serve several diverse purposes, enabling not only storage, but also expanding the ways a particular work space may be used to include temporary, adjustable height surface and work benches. Another object of the invention is the ability to manufacture the storage apparatus for reasonable costs, thereby making the apparatus available for as wide a range of applications as possible. These and other objectives are achieved in the present invention, which will be best understood from the description of the preferred embodiment in association with the accompanying drawing figures.